<span style="color: #222222;">In Punjab, there has been a significant reduction in the incidents of paddy stubble burning in the fields this year as compared to previous years. Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has provided special assistance to the state in the action plan for stubble disposal. <br />''<br />''During the period from 15th September to 1st November this year, a total of 9 thousand 594 incidents of stubble burning in the fields reported, which are nearly 46 percent less as compared to the same period of last year. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has played an important role in this reduction because the financial support of the Ministry has helped in providing machinery to the farmers for disposal of stubble in the fields itself. A target has been set to reduce the incidents of fire by about fifty percent this year as compared to last year. On the basis of the current figures, it should be expected that this target will definitely be achieved by the end of the paddy harvesting season.</span><br />